Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
Gulf Stream Owners RV Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 08-19-2018, 10:13 AM   #1
Beaufort NC
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Beaufort
Posts: 108
Default Long term cost of operation

We own a 2006 Crescendo 8356 diesel pusher which we bought new. The coach is now coming up on 100,000 miles. We have tracked expenses during the life of the coach, and are curious as to how we compare with others who might have tracked.

Fuel = 11,942 gallons (7.95 mpg, includes about 2400 hours generator use).

Maintenance = $25,000 +/-

Total operational cost = $65,000 +/-, or roughly 65 cents per mile.

Maintenance cost includes changing tires twice, blown head gasket, failed serpentine belt twice, new starter, new alternator, all new hoses, two new air conditioner units, new suspension air bags, and the routine stuff.
__________________
Jenn & Pete
2006 Crescendo 8356 purchased new
95k miles
Workhorse chassis
Cummins 330 ISC
Toad: 2015 Jeep GC Summit
Beaufort NC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2018, 11:43 AM   #2
Chuck v
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,025
Default

Jenn and Pete,


Thanks for posting this and for keeping such good records. Do you have any rough estimate of how many days out you have spent in your rig and how much you have not had to pay on hotels, etc?


I have a 2007 Tour Master 40 C which I live in relatively full time, so it does not have the mileage your unit has. But it is of similar age and of course is not in a covered storage any of the time.


Have you replaced your awning fabric yet? I did all mine for the main awning and the 3 slides about a year and a half ago...and found I needed to replace a main arm for the largest awning to solve the issue of it not retracting flush with the coach wall.


Readers of this forum have seen that I have also put a lot of work into keeping my residential refrigerator working correctly (sure beats having to take it out through the windshield...) and have chosen to upgrade the clothes washer with a Matag one with more cycles -- the original dryer is still here and functioning. Also have chosen to upgrade the inverter with a Magnum with true sine wave, upgraded the transfer switch with a unit with integral surge protection, and all the TVs are newer models of a much higher grade than OEM -- this caused some minor cabinet modifications.


Most of the expenses above were 'optional' and in addition to the expected tires, engine maintenance, etc. I have had no repairs on my Mercedes engine. I did have a repair needed that seemed premature to me -- my power retract shore line 240 volt service cord became intermittent and only one phase was making contact in the spool hub. Got it replaced, and the service guy said that high current on the commutator when you don't move the coach much can cause this, as retracting and extending the cord tends to clean the commutator and brush surfaces. I have not had any issues since, and do move the coach at least once every couple of months now.


I bought my coach used in late 2008 with less than 9,000 miles on it, so most of the wear and tear is my own...


Chuck
__________________
2007 Tour Master T40C
Acura MDX toad

"It takes a great deal of time to recover from any improvement..."
Chuck v is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2018, 02:03 PM   #3
Beaufort NC
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Beaufort
Posts: 108
Default

Interesting point, Chuck. Quick count says that we have spent around 357 nights in the coach in the years that we've had it, so at $100/night, that would be $37,500 plus the cost of meals, etc. We've spent $6,000 +/- in park rent, which would net us about $31k. Also, nothing here talks about principal and interest, so when you get looking hard at the numbers, motorhomes are like airplanes (we're in that too), no financial justification. The only time I've ever questioned ownership is the couple of times we've waited for the tow truck on the side of the road (curse, curse, curse).
__________________
Jenn & Pete
2006 Crescendo 8356 purchased new
95k miles
Workhorse chassis
Cummins 330 ISC
Toad: 2015 Jeep GC Summit
Beaufort NC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2018, 03:21 PM   #4
Chuck v
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,025
Default

Yes, there is no real way to "justify" the ownership of a coach on a financial basis -- but the ability to travel without packing/unpacking and questioning the cleanliness of the accommodations is of great comfort.


I first bought my coach when I was working as a consultant in an adjacent state and grew very tired of hotel rooms every weekday and flying back and forth. So the coach allowed at least a known accommodation with my on food in the fridge and my own laundry machines. Still had to travel back and forth since the distance was far enough to leave the coach set up there.


Nowadays I work in a state next to the one where we own a home...again about 400+ miles separating the two. My work is such that I can be here at the company office about two months and then work from home for about a month. This really minimizes the back and forth travel (but I still leave the coach in the resort park 'full time' where it is convenient to my office.


What is really priceless for the type of roaming you do in the Crescendo is that you get to choose exactly where you go next and see what you want to see.


Keep doing just that!


Chuck
__________________
2007 Tour Master T40C
Acura MDX toad

"It takes a great deal of time to recover from any improvement..."
Chuck v is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2018, 09:49 AM   #5
Restorium
Senior Member
 
Restorium's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 557
Default

We don't have to worry about bed bugs.... priceless.

We don't have to worry about some sort of poison a hotel/motel uses for cleaning or bugs.

Here in Michigan I can get a camping spot so close to the lake I could actually just drive right out into the water. Hear the waves crashing from inside the motorhome.


All these things are priceless and there simply is no substitute for it.


When we were just kids in our 20's camping in the back of a truck, a big coach had pulled up in the camping spot next to the lake. From that moment on we knew what we wanted. Sold some property and bought a motorhome. Then a better one. It's been great!
Restorium is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:21 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
×